Summit LNG terminal resumes supply, output expected to rise by Saturday

Summit LNG Terminal resumed supplying regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to the national gas grid this evening (14 August), after remaining idle since yesterday afternoon.

The terminal began supplying around 110 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) at 6:10pm, with supply expected to gradually rise to around 550 mmcfd by 2am on Saturday, Summit said in a statement.

Mohsena Hassan, general manager of Summit Power International, confirmed that the LNG carrier BW Lesmes had berthed at the terminal.

The terminal had remained idle since yesterday afternoon as the LNG cargo could not be connected to the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).

Bangladesh's LNG supply to the national grid fell sharply to around 300 mmcfd today, worsening gas shortages for households, industries and transport.

The additional supply is expected to ease shortages affecting industries, power plants and other consumers.

Petrobangla and Energy Division officials said another LNG carrier, Al Hamra, had been waiting in the Bay of Bengal for three days but had not been allowed to berth at Summit's floating terminal.

According to MarineTraffic, a sea-traffic monitoring service, the carrier had been waiting offshore for several days.

Officials said Excelerate Energy, which handles the technical operations of Summit's terminal, had not allowed Al Hamra to berth, citing concerns over the terminal's suitability for the vessel.

A Petrobangla official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it remained unclear why the vessel was not allowed to berth.

Petrobangla officials, however, said Summit's and Excelerate Energy Bangladesh's FSRUs are designed to handle both Moss-type and membrane-type LNG carriers for ship-to-ship LNG transfers.

The Business Standard contacted Md Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan, country director of Excelerate Energy Bangladesh, for comment.

He declined to comment, saying he was in a meeting.